New Jersey Funds Local News Through Film Credits

New Jersey lawmakers are betting big on local journalism by repurposing unused film tax credits—now trimmed from $20 million to $15 million annually—to fund community-focused news and public media. They’re also cutting a $15 million general fund appropriation to make this support more stable and less vulnerable to annual budget fights. With rising concerns over misinformation and social media’s role in news consumption, and with New Jersey ranking among the worst in journalist density, this plan aims to revitalize local reporting. Public media outlets like NJ PBS and NJ Spotlight News have faced funding cuts, and Montclair State University is stepping in to run public TV stations. Supporters hope this dedicated funding will rebuild a robust, state-centric media ecosystem—critical for informed citizenship and healthy democracy. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/352cf20afc909296